


Sleeping-Yet Again

by ShadowSnowdapple



Series: Oops? [2]
Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: (mentioned) - Freeform, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Gen, Illnesses, Self-Indulgent, if any of yall caught my wink from the last one you should have known this was coming, im the author and I get to pick the chronically ill characters, little bit of ableism but hey- if you dont know you dont know, unfortunately it's hereditary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 08:24:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18890830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowSnowdapple/pseuds/ShadowSnowdapple
Summary: "Moominpapa remembered the Joxter. He always remembered his friends fondly but recently he had to consider his strange anti-social companion in his memories again. It used to be almost a joke in the crew: Joxter’s asleep- again. If he wasn’t sleeping in plain sight he was up a tree, tucked in a corner or in a box completely asleep. "





	Sleeping-Yet Again

**Author's Note:**

> AYYYYYY I'm back again with the self-indulgence!
> 
> In the last part, I made a wink to the Joxter so I couldn't help myself (EDS is hereditary my dudes, I don't make the rules, it's DNA)
> 
> Once again, this is off of my own experiences so it's self-indulgent as HECK but hey- maybe you'll enjoy it.

Moominpapa remembered the Joxter. He always remembered his friends fondly but recently he had to consider his strange anti-social companion in his memories again. It used to be almost a joke in the crew: Joxter’s asleep- again. If he wasn’t sleeping in plain sight he was up a tree, tucked in a corner or in a box completely asleep. 

 

“Is he ever awake for more than like… an hour a day?” Moomin had asked the Muddler one day on their sailing.

 

Muddler chuckled, “oh- sometimes I wonder that myself. Joxter is very tired, all the time. I would think for someone who sleeps so much-“ he rolled his eyes a bit.

 

Another day Moomin almost tripped over Joxter on the deck when he was going to do some of the checks for Hodgekins. However, he wasn’t watching his feet as he went a stumbled as he bumped into the Joxter. 

 

Joxter groaned at the jostling as Moomin righted himself.

 

“Moomin…” Joxter whined, rubbing his eyes, “What was that for?”

 

Moomin couldn’t help but to puff up, crossing his arms sternly, “I didn’t see you, you’re napping in the middle of the deck, where anyone can trip over you.”

 

Joxter just sighed and tried to turn back around and settle again but Moomin pulled him back by his coat. “You can’t just keep sleeping here! You’ve been asleep all day!”

 

“But I’m tired!” Joxter insisted, “and everyone else is somewhere, the deck is the only quiet place!”

 

Moomin scoffed, “you do nothing but sleep Joxter, how are you still tired?”

 

Joxter huffed at that, “oh my dear Moomintroll, I’m always tired. Just let these old bones rest, listen to them, they creak and crack.” As if to prove himself, Joxter stretched out, a round of pops and crackles were clearly heard as he moved.

 

“That’s because you laid here all day, that’s your own fault!” Moomin shot back, “maybe if you move around you won’t be so stiff.”

 

Joxter let out a string of mocking mumbles. “Fine fine,” Joxter stood up slowly before dusting himself off, “I’ll go ask Hodgekins if I can borrow that couch again, my back hurts.”

 

Moomin didn’t stop him but frowned, Joxter shouldn’t be acting like an old man, he couldn’t be much older than Moomin! Joxter was always so lazy, he sat down when people were talking to him, refrained from picking up heavy things, slept all day, then would complain about feeling tired or sore. 

 

Moomin had all but become furious with the Joxter’s antics when he went to complain to Hodgkins.

 

“It’s not like he works hard!” Moomin grumbled in the captain’s quarters.

 

Hodgkins frowned a bit, “Joxter does his best. I won’t deny that he’s rather… lazy, but he had his reasons.”

 

“What do you mean?” Moomin asked.

 

Hodgkins sat down on the couch next to the moomin. “Well, Joxter hasn’t told me himself but I don’t think he’s well. I’ve known him for some time and I can’t remember a month he hasn’t gotten a cold, he bruises up and gets hurt pretty easily, and I’ve seen him stumble over his feet quite a few times when standing up. But you’ve met him, Joxter doesn’t go to anyone for anything- much less his own problems.”

 

Moomin considered this and tried to be a bit easier on Joxter, especially when Hodgkins’ words rang true that by the end of the month, Joxter was found curled up between some boxes sniffling and sneezing, looking rather miserable.

 

“Are you okay?” Moomin asked when he found Joxter.

 

Joxter sniffled again, “‘m fine. Just a cold.”

 

Moomin nodded and left Joxter alone but when Moomin reported this to Hodgeskins, the captain sighed. “Again? I had hoped this would be the lucky month while we’re at sea. Just keep an eye on him. Though, he’ll probably try to stay down in the hull. He acts all aloof but Joxter doesn’t like us worrying about him.”

 

Moomin agreed and tried his best. Bringing down water and food to Joxter in the hull but Joxter just acted more standoffish and was rather obvious in trying to get Moomin to leave him alone.

 

The next day, dark clouds began to roll overhead. Hodgkins looked miffed and Muddler looked scared.

 

“Oh no! There’s going to be a huge storm and then the mast will get struck by lighting and then it will catch on fire and then the boat will be on fire and then it’s going to sink!” The Muddler paced the captains quarters as Hodgkins seemed to be calculating how best to sail out and around the storm. 

 

“We’re getting out of here, Muddler, don’t worry,” the captain sighed.

 

Moomin glanced around, it was still only the three of them. “Should I go get Joxter? I think he’s still under.”

 

Hodgkins waved him off, “no, no, Joxter’s probably still unwell. Best to let him rest in case we really need him for something.” The captain then paused for a second and then turned back around, “how about you check on him though, just to be sure.”

 

Moomin quickly nodded before leaving the cabin and dashing for the stairs. He walked over to the corner of boxes that Joxter had made some kind of nest for the last day or so but he wasn’t there. Moomin frowned, glancing around. 

 

“Joxter? Joxter are you there?” He called.

 

A loud hiss was his only reply. Moomin glanced around for the source and walked up to a box. When he glanced inside he found Joxter, blankets were pushed up against the sides and Joxter was curled up tightly. “Moomin…” Joxter groaned, opening one big blue eye to look at him, the sheen of them reflecting in the dim light, “my head hurts and I’m sore, leave me alone.”

 

“Oh, Hodgkins just wanted me to check up on you, there a storm coming in-“

 

“Oh, of course, there is, I should have guessed, no wonder I feel so dreadful,” Joxter wailed dejectedly, turning back over.

 

Moomin leaned over the box more to get a closer look at Joxter, “what do you mean?”

 

“Haven’t you heard of it?” Joxter huffed, “old joints like mine ache when the weather turns bad.”

 

“Joxter-“ Moomin chuckled, “you’re no older than me!”

 

Joxter scoffed, “you’re probably right, but I sure feel like it.” He sat up with another round of cracking sounds, “but it just feels like a bit of rain, I usually can’t move if it’s worse. Tell Hodgkins not to panic and let me sleep off this awful headache.”

 

— — 

 

Moominpapa considered this as he stared at the rain pouring down outside of Moominhouse. It was spring again and that meant spring showers but this one was particularly bad. Just a couple of minutes before the rain started to pour, Moomintroll arrived at the door, Snufkin on his back. The boy’s face was buried in Moomintroll’s shoulder.

 

“Mama!” Moomintroll had called as he placed his friend down on the couch. Snufkin wasn’t asleep or anything, but he grimaced at the movement. “Do you have any of your potions? Snufkin says he’s really sore today!”

 

Snufkin rubbed his temples, “it’s just the weather, Moomintroll. Feels like quite the storm.”

**Author's Note:**

> I always feel like crap when the rain comes in- the change in air pressure is HELL.
> 
> If you want to know about the backgrounds of the conditions referenced they are found:  
> [here](https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/) and [here](http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/)


End file.
